Threat of fights over student hurling racial slur puts SW Portland high school into lockout

A Southwest Portland high school went into lockout Thursday as administrators tried to tamp down on a series of fights that broke out after a student hurled a racial slur at a group of boys.

In a note to parents, Wilson High School Principal Maude Lamont said a girl repeatedly called a group of boys the n-word last week, recording the incident on her phone.

As administrators began working with the families of the students involved, the conflict continued and a pair of fights broke out.

Lamont said school officials made an announcement Thursday morning warning students that hate speech wouldn’t be tolerated on campus.

“We want all of our students to feel safe to come to school to learn and emphasize our collective value of showing empathy and respect for all,” Lamont wrote.

But school officials also heard rumors that a student planned to start another fight during a designated study period Thursday. As a precaution, administrators, school security and Portland police were called to patrol the campus, Lamont wrote.

School officials put the building into lockout when police learned of a student threatening to fight. The student was found off campus and taken into custody, Lamont wrote.